With their season on the line, the KCCA Leopards delivered a statement performance, securing a crucial 70-55 victory over the UCU Lady Canons in Game 3 to force a game 4. The game was played on Wednesday 29th July and the Leopards had to win in order to keep the semifinals series alive, which they did.

Intentional Start from the Leopards

Having arrived with just a few minutes to tipoff, the UCU Lady canons did not look ready. Nevertheless, they started well with Sylivia Nantongo and Martina Anyango each in quick succession. The energy at the start did not go on for long and the points quickly dried up.

UCU scored just 2 points in the final 5 minutes of the half but what was mind boggling is the fact that the they never made any of their 3-point shot attempts but kept attempting. In those 5 minutes, they made just 1 2-point shot attempt and that is what was scored.

This played in the hands of the KCCA leopards and slowly by slowly, they picked up the momentum. Zainah Lokwameri and Tracy Namugosa scored 2 huge 3-point shots for the Leopards to give them a 16-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.

KCCA extended the lead to 12 points halfway the second quarter but the Lady Canons threatened to swing momentum back, sparked by an 8-0 run featuring back-to-back triples from Nantongo late in the second period. KCCA managed to stay composed, taking a 27-23 advantage into the halftime locker roombreak.

Building a comfortable cushion

The game decisively swung in KCCA’s favor during the third quarter and it was down to one player; tracy Namugosa. Every time she made attacked, it was as though KCCA was guaranteed points. She scored the first 8 points for KCCA in the quarter and the momentum built up. Zainah Lokwameri added 6 points late in the quarter and the Leopards managed to build a comfortable 12-point cushion heading into the final period.

The leopards weren’t done yet. They kept putting up the pressure and soon extended their lead to 21 points. In the first 7 minutes of the quarter, UCU scored just 1 field goal and this was a testament to the incredible defense that KCCA played.

Star Performers

Tracy Namugosa put on a sensational player-of-the-match performance, leading all scorers with a game-high 24 points and an additional 6 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals. Sharua Nakirya provided vital offensive support with a solid 14 points while Zainah Lokwameri contributed heavily on both ends of the floor, chipping in 13 points. 

For the UCU Lady Canons, Matrina Anyango fought valiantly to log a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Sylvia Nantongo matched her with 14 points plus 6 rebounds. The performance of the rest of the squad was lacking and ultimately, they crumbled.

Game 4

With the series now sitting at 2-1 in favor of UCU, the KCCA Leopards have injected new life into the semifinals, setting the stage for a high-stakes Game 4. Game 4 shall take place on Sunday 2nd August at the Lugogo Indoor Arena